Cristiano and his father, Stefano, at a AS Roma game. Photo: @worldlifestyle
This is Stefano and Cristiano. They are two AS Roma fans who were lucky enough to see their favorite team face off against the glory of Bayern Munich on a Champions League night in October of 2014. They probably had a blast, if this picture is anything to go off of. The result of the game might have been a downer — AS Roma lost 7-1 — but the biggest loss of the night was yet to come. The day after the match, tragic news spread around Rome of two AS Roma fans who died in a scooter accident after the game. Those fans were Stefano and Cristiano.
Left behind, undoubtedly grieving in the wake of such a monumental loss, were a mother and daughter named Luana and Michelle. They too are AS Roma fans.
It is unknown how or why they decided to go to AS Roma’s very next game; it was against Sampdoria only 4 days later. Most people would have been immobilized by grief, or at the very least would have avoided crowds like a damaged boat avoids rough waters. Not them, within a week of a life changing loss, they went to Roma vs Sampdoria. It was a decision the result of which reinforced the notion that, like Winston Churchill said, if you are going through hell, keep going.
Luana reacts to the sight of the players wearing the shirts. Photo: @worldlifestyle | Twitter
When AS Roma came out onto the pitch they worse T-Shirts honoring the memory of Stefano and Cristiano, and the presence of Luana and Michelle. One can only imagine what it must have been like as the players received their shirts before the game, and learned of the story behind them. You can see the profound understanding written over all of their faces. The tragic tail of this father and son made an impact.
Players walk out before the match. Photo: @worldlifestyle
To say that AS Roma honored Luana and Michelle by spreading awareness of their loss is true, but doesn’t seem adequate enough of a description. The players also shared some of their pain during these moments before the game. It was a beautiful gesture by the club. It must have been incredibly moving to see these multimillionaire superstars humble themselves when called upon to honor Luana.
Kneeling for pregame photo. Photo: @forzaitalianfootball
Hopefully, the memory of Stefano and Cristiano won’t go down in history as simply one of two fans who died tragically. Hopefully, they will be remembered as two people that ended up bringing a club, its players, its fans, and most importantly Luana and Michelle, together.
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